TL:DR
RAM is predicted to drop in price by up to 8% and is already happening! Price drops across multiple sites are already being seen. Waiting longer could garner more savings, or you could miss out. Get RAM during Q4 and hold out for other parts as the chip shortage subsides (hopefully). Be on the lookout for other peripherals and parts (that aren’t chips) to start dropping in price as well.
The Chip Shortage and RAM
Yes the chip shortage has made the PC builder feel as though they were in a technological Great Depression. The build lists on pcpartpicker.com have now been sitting for as long as a single mother in a bread line in 1931. We are all tired of it, for sure! But there may be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel…
A recent article sites Nanya Technology Corporation (the 4th largest DRAM maker in the world) as predicting a late-year price drop in RAM. The reasons for this are two-fold… the chip shortage itself and the next-gen DRR5 coming soon.
“The Great Chip Shortage of 21” as we will now less-than-affectionately call it has affected a massive number of both enterprises and individuals. The automovtive industry to the DIY tinkerer, we are all in the same boat… unable to source required parts for a reasonable cost. But this leaves other electronics parts- specifically RAM in this case- producing their same quantity, but seeing less demand. As there are no chips to take advantage of RAM, there has been less demand.
Now I can barely balance a checkbook, but I do know that a reduce in demand and a surplus supply means a price drop. Be warned, though, the article above is predicting a “minor” correction of up to 8%, but still! Back in early 2019, 16GB of decent RAM could be had for around $70. While we aren’t quite there yet, it does seem to be trending that way!
Next Gen RAM Coming Soon, but…
Combine the supply and demand issue with the fact that DDR5 is due out very late this year or early 2022 (coinciding with Intel’s Alder Lake chips) and we have the makings of decent savings on the way. Coincidentally, unless you’re overclocking like a crazy person and have the latest and greatest of CPUs (which, again, there’s a shortage) DDR5 won’t be really usable for a while, so DDR4 is still well worth investing in (at these lower prices).
Check out the deals!
Check out this deal for G.Skill RAM on Amazon! an 11% price reduction!
Deal on G.Skill Trident Z RGB series
Note: The above link is an affiliate link. If you need RAM and would like to contribute to Ctrl Alt Develop at no additional cost to you, then please use the link. If you find it even cheaper elsewhere… well, get that and post a link in the comments for others!
But Wait, There (might be) More!
The next few months will be interesting for PC builders, as RAM is not the only component or peripheral whose sales have been affected by the chip shortage, but their production has remainded consistent. This widespread supply/demand issue could lead to savings on even more components.
Patience and caution is still the name of the game for us tinkerers and builders of tech. Keep an eye out for sales and get what you can at reasonable prices and wait for the rest (the chips especially) to price correct over the coming months.
Now if we could just get those graphics cards to be reasonably supplied and priced…
